


Blue eyes

by Sauffie



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, but still very new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:16:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sauffie/pseuds/Sauffie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike Ross and Harvey Specter have been in a relationship for two months when Mike unexpectedly gets to meet Charlotte, Harvey and Scottie's daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Mistydreams, I hope this is what you wanted. I had a blast writing this, thank you for this wonderful prompt and MERRY CHRISTMAS! <3

Mike sits blot upright on his chair when his cell phone buzzes loudly in the bullpen. He has no idea what time it is or how long he’s been sitting here, proofing that brief for Louis. Too many pages, numbers and figures, too many clauses… he totally would think Louis was trying to kill him if that was a plan he believed Louis to be capable of crafting. Sadly, it’s just one of the most boring briefs he’s ever laid his eyes on, not to mention complicated. Family law definitely isn’t his favored area.

He smiles for the first time this morning when he sees the ID on his phone screen. It’s a text from Harvey. And since he didn’t call his office phone or send Donna to deliver a message, it means it’s private. They’ve been doing an awful lot of _private_ things lately, he thinks with a barely hidden smirk as he slides his thumb across the screen to unlock his phone.

“ _Can you come up, please?_ ”

He wasn’t expecting that. He might even be a little concerned. Harvey’s proven very creative with his texting since they officially started dating a month and a half ago after weeks of pretending they didn’t want to be more than fuckbuddies and this text is terribly formal, too polite, not Harvey’s style.

“How’s my brief going, Mike?”, Louis asks, leaning in a little too close, invading Mike’s personal space and interrupting his train of thoughts.

“It’s, uh, I’m- I’m almost done”, Mike replies with an assured nod. “You’ll have it proofed by…”, he stops and takes a quick look at his watch. “… by 2pm. Right now, I have to go see Harvey.”

“Of course”, Louis snorts defiantly. Mike doesn’t think Louis knows what’s going on between them (nobody does and it’s better this way) but he’s known from day one that Louis doesn’t appreciate when his work gets pushed back by Harvey’s never-ending demands. “I need it proofed by 1:30”, he adds and turns on his heels.

“Sure…”, Mike rolls his eyes and grabs his jacket before rushing to the staircase. That way he won’t have to take the elevator with Louis and it’s usually faster to take the stairs anyway.

The partner’s floor is a lot quieter than the associates’. It’s like there’s no rush, no stress, no deadline here, like these sharply dressed people have all the time in the world so they don’t have to run around or shout on the phone. Mike always feels a little awkward when he’s up there, he even sometimes finds himself holding his breath for fear that his breathing might disturb the quietness.

The only space he never found himself awkward on this floor is Harvey’s office. From the moment he stepped inside the large corner room on his first day two years ago, from the moment his fingertips touched the records on the shelves by the door, he knew it felt right. He felt like he was at the right place, for the first time in his life. Of course, moments later Harvey entered the office and fired him, but that’s another story. Point is he’s always felt good in this office, he’s always felt good and safe with Harvey.

“Morning, Donna!”, he singsongs when he reaches her desk.

“Morning, rookie”, she replies with a knowing smile. She knows “rookie” is the name Harvey uses to call Mike and that’s probably her way of telling him she _knows_. That and the proud smirk she’s been displaying for a couple of weeks. They haven’t told her anything yet but she’s Donna, they knew she’d figure it out. And it looks like she finally did. “He’s on the phone”, she sighs and goes back to her typing.

“Conference call?”, Mike asks. “’Cause he just tex-“

“I wouldn’t know”, Donna cuts him. “He switched off the intercom _and_ password-protected his calendar for a month, so…”

“Oh”, Mike averts his gaze. “But, um, how are you supposed to manage his calendar if you can’t access it?”, he asks because he’s genuinely curious and because he’d rather talk technicalities than the reason behind this cutting off.

“I can still set meetings, I just can’t know when he’s free”, she explains bitterly. “He receives a notification and approves or declines the meeting. I guess you can agree that it is utterly stupid and counterproductive. Not to mention totally unnecessary.”

“Uh, yeah, I… I, uh, I guess”, Mike clears his throat and looks up to see if Harvey’s done with his conversation.

He’s leaning back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk and he’s freaking _laughing_. He’s the one who called Mike up and yet he’s talking casually on the phone while Mike has to endure Donna’s deadly stare and innuendos.

“I should come back later, when he’s done”, Mike gestures awkwardly and gives her a small apologetic smile before heading back to his floor.

A loud “Mike!” yelled from behind the glass walls stops him dead in his tracks.

“He’s done”, Donna smiles when he turns around.

“Thank you”, Mike nods and knocks on Harvey’s door. “She’s mad”, he mouths as he swings the door open.

“Donna?”, Harvey whispers with a frown.

“Yeah, she told me you cut the Intercom off and that you don’t allow her to look at your schedule”, Mike replies once he’s closed the door.

“I didn’t want her snooping around anymore”

“Does it have anything to do with us?”, Mike asks.

“It might”, Harvey grins.

“So, you wanted to see me?”, Mike takes a seat across from him. “I need to finish this thing for Louis…”

“Yeah”, Harvey sighs and his grin is quickly replaced by an apologetic pursed lips. “Scottie just called. Something came up and she has to go to San Francisco for the weekend. It’s business so she can’t take Charlie, which means I-“

“Which means you’re cancelling our plans for the weekend because you have to look after your daughter…”, Mike sighs.

“I’m sorry, Mike”, Harvey leans in and looks around to make sure nobody’s watching before reaching over his desk to touch Mike’s hand.

“It’s okay”, Mike shakes his head resignedly. “I have to go back to my desk now”, he gets back up and quickly leaves the room, ignoring Harvey’s whispered pleas.

He’s known Charlotte’s existence from the get go. Actually, the little girl’s picture (she was four at the time) was one of the very first things he noticed in Harvey’s office. He asked what her name was and that was the only thing Harvey told him about her. The rest he pried out of Donna, and that cost him 3 dinners at 3 very expensive restaurants. She told him Charlotte’s mum, Dana Scott, was also a lawyer, that they shared custody of the little girl and that Harvey was very protective of her, that he didn’t like talking about her. So Mike didn’t ask. It’s only when they started going out as friends that Harvey began to share more about his personal life. Charlotte wasn’t planned, his relationship with Scottie was complicated and rocky and he knew they weren’t going to spend the rest of their life together but still, when Scottie got pregnant, neither of them wanted to terminate the pregnancy. Even if that meant that they would always be in each other’s life, they both wanted to become parents and considering the life they both lead, it might have been their only shot at it. Harvey told Mike that it wasn’t always easy, that Scottie was a controlling and jealous bitch, that they fought a lot but that they still managed to love and care for their daughter. Mike still fondly remembers that night when Harvey showed him a video of Charlotte playing in the snow, how proud he looked. They were both very tipsy and Mike remembers how he had liked this side of his boss, of his friend. But what particularly stayed from that night was the moment Harvey confessed he was bi. The moment Mike’s meticulously repressed feelings were set free, the moment a world of possibilities opened right in front of him. That doesn’t mean he acted on that information, but he knew that seducing Harvey wasn’t impossible anymore, he could at least give it a try. So he spent the following month dropping hints so Harvey would know he also liked men all the while spending more and more time with him… kind of courting him with the only tools he knew how to use: his brain, his friendship, his discretion, his respect. And it paid. Big time as one night, almost three months ago, Harvey kissed him. A quick, chaste, almost hesitant kiss that set Mike’s world on fire.

It’s been great since that night. At first they agreed that they wouldn’t dive into a relationship, agreed that it wasn’t what they wanted, that it was too complicated, too unhealthy considering their hierarchical relationship. But after weeks of spending the night at each other’s apartment, it became clear that they were both lying to themselves and it was actually Harvey who pointed it out. It was Harvey who said they should try. He didn’t say he _wanted_ to have a relationship, no, he presented it as a challenge, a challenge the great Harvey Specter was ready to take up. And Mike more than happily agreed to take part in Harvey’s little experiment.

Mike’s never met Charlotte, never asked to meet her. If there’s one thing he’s learned about Harvey in those two years working for him is to never rush him, especially when it comes to personal matters. Harvey’s apparently not ready to introduce his daughter to Mike and Mike can understand, it’s only been a month and a half. All in due time… He’s not even sure he’s ready to meet the apple of Harvey’s eyes. It sounds a bit intimidating, especially if Charlotte’s anything like her mum and dad.

Anyway, it’s not what upsets him right now, as he climbs the stairs to the associates’ floor. Harvey and him were supposed to spend a whole weekend together, to go on a date, to go to the restaurant, maybe to the movies on Sunday… They were supposed to do all that and more and now, thanks to Scottie’s work obligations, he’s going to spend those two days alone in his tiny apartment.

When he accepted Harvey’s offer to “try to have a relationship”, he knew the six-year old was part of the equation, he knew she’d always come first, even before Harvey’s work, which is a small miracle when you know the guy. What he didn’t expect was that he would be so quickly proved right.

 

Mike all but slaps the 100-page brief on Louis’ desk at 1:32 and rushes back to his cubicle to brood for the rest of the afternoon. The prospect of the weekend has never seemed so unappealing and now, he wouldn’t mind another boring brief to keep his mind from stupidly dwelling on his disappointment, from developing jealous feeling towards a little girl.

He accepts Benjamin’s offer to go on a smoke break even though he doesn’t smoke and when he comes back to his desk, he decides the tackle the pile of files he had neatly put together for next week since he’s probably going to stay late now he has no plan whatsoever.

Ignoring his phone vibrating loudly on the glass desk from time to time, he reads, highlights, corrects and annotates every single page, only stopping to take a sip of the coffees a concerned Benjamin keeps bringing him.

 

“Thinking of sleeping here?” and a playful slap on the shoulder bring him back to reality.

Benjamin is standing behind him, apparently ready to leave for the weekend.

Mike takes a quick look around the now empty bullpen and he rubs his eyes.

“You should go home”, Benjamin smiles. “I’ll see you on Monday!”

“Yeah…”, Mike sighs as he watches his colleague walk out of the room.

He’s still disappointed, still upset, but he’s come to terms with the whole thing and now would be the right time to show some maturity and go kiss his boyfriend goodbye. He left Harvey’s office rather abruptly and he knows it was childish, it’s not Harvey’s fault Scottie had to leave, he can’t resent Harvey for being a dad, he can’t resent a little girl for needing parental supervision.

He clears his desk and puts his phone and headphones in his satchel before heading for the elevators.

 

When the cabin’s doors open on the partners’ floor less than a minute later, Mike cautiously steps out and takes a quick look around: everybody seems to be gone, the front desk is empty of its usual three receptionists and most of the lights are off. A glance at his watch tells Mike it’s almost 8pm, which might explain that. Hopefully, Harvey hasn’t taken off without saying goodbye. Or maybe he was upset at Mike’s dismissal earlier this afternoon and decided that having to deal with one kid this weekend was enough and he just left without telling Mike…

His fears quickly dissolve when he spots the light coming out of Harvey’s office and also when he hears him humming softly to what he now knows is Harvey’s favorite jazz piece as he approaches the glass walls.

“Aren’t you suppose to pick up your daughter?”, Mike asks when he enters the room without knocking, causing Harvey to startle. “Sorry”, he says with an apologetic smile.

“She’s with Scottie’s parents, I told them I would pick her up at 9”, Harvey replies without looking up from his computer. “I thought you had left.”

“I am leaving but I wanted to say goodbye” Mike says and waits.

Harvey doesn’t say anything for a long moment and Mike can tell from the way his jaw clenches that he wants to say something, that something’s bothering him and he’s trying to come up with the best way to put it.

“You could have said no instead of ignoring my texts”, Harvey finally looks up and says with a pointed look.

“I, uh, I didn’t purposely ignore them”, he clears his throat. “I just didn’t check my phone. Was there-”

“Why?”

“I was busy”, Mike replies, feeling his cheek starting to burn. He was hoping having a relationship with him would give him some confidence when confronted with a pissed-off Harvey. Unfortunately, he’s still powerless when it comes to Harvey’s deep brown eyes firing bullets at him, he still can’t help but feel like a 5-year old being scolded by his parents.

“You haven’t checked it at all?”

“Um, no, I mean, um, not since we spoke before lunch”, Mike replies and now he understands why his stomach hurts, he didn’t have anything to eat today.

“Well, you should have”, Harvey cocks his head to one side then goes back to his computer. “Good night.”

“Uh…”, Mike eloquently retorts and he knows Harvey, he knows what he means isn’t really for Mike to go. What Harvey is offering him now, even though it sounds like a clear dismissal, is a chance to check his phone before it’s too late, before Harvey’s too pissed at him to hear what he has to say.

So he quickly fumbles in his satchel for his phone and proceeds to read the, _oh-shit_ , 6 texts Harvey sent him.

12:12 pm _“Sorry for having to cancel our plans… I was really looking forward to spending the weekend with you but I have no choice…”_

12:47 pm _“I know you understand. You do, right?”_

2pm _“Still mad?”_

3:45 pm _“Okay, how about you have dinner with Charlie and I?”_

5:28 pm _“It’s a simple yes or no question, Mike. It’s fine if you don’t want to. I’m just trying to find a way for us to still spend some time together. Plus, I’d like you to meet Charlie.”_

6:10 pm _“Again, I’m truly sorry for cancelling. Mike?”_

6:25 pm _“Alright, I’m calling you.”_

And indeed, in addition to the 6 text messages is a red badge indicating 2 missed calls. _Fuck_.

Mike looks up from his phone and takes a deep breath. Harvey’s typing on his keyboard, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, his jaw clenched and his lips tight in an angry purse.

“I’m sorry”, Mike almost whispers. “I was a little angry at… the, uh, situation, so I… I chose to focus on work and I cut everything out, including my phone”, he tries to explain and Harvey doesn’t say anything, doesn’t look at him but at least he stops typing. “I’m sorry, Harvey”, he repeats and takes a hesitant step forward.

He’s about to take a second one when Harvey snaps closed the lid of his laptop.

“Is it going to be a problem in the future?”, he stands up and asks. “I am as disappointed as you are that we can’t go on with our plans”, he continues, not allowing Mike to answer his question. “But I can’t have you mad at me every time something comes up with Charlie. And there will be other instances like this one in the future, other times I will need to cancel or change our plans because of her. I need to know now Mike”, he stops and folds his arms across his chest. “Is it going to be a problem?”

Mike knows that posture, arms and chest flexed in defiance, he also knows that look. He knows that this, right there, is Harvey being on the defensive because by asking this question he’s exposing himself to Mike’s decision, to Mike’s answer. And if there’s one thing Harvey hates is to not have total control of a situation. Mike knows what Harvey’s implying when asking about the _future_ , he knows exactly what’s at stake here. So he needs to be careful with what he replies or Harvey won’t hesitate to call their relationship off, he knows he won’t, he’s seen him make these impulsive calls when backed against the wall in the past. Charlotte is a highly sensitive subject, one they’ve been avoiding since starting this relationship, and it seems like it’s finally coming up, but in the worst of circumstances.

“No, I… I didn’t mean to not answer your invitation or to ignore you…”, he replies cautiously. “Yes, I was mad and I acted out, I’m sorry, I-“

“Mike”, Harvey cuts him. “This isn’t going to work. I thought we-“

“What? No!”, Mike exclaims. He has to protest, he knows what’s coming. Harvey thought they could make it work, he thought he was ready, he thought Mike was ready but he was wrong, it was a bad idea, etc. Yes, Mike knows exactly what’s coming and he can’t let Harvey think that, he can’t let Harvey say that. “No, Harvey, I’m sorry”, he repeats, walking around the desk and stopping when his feet touch Harvey’s. “It isn’t going to be a problem, I promise. I shouldn’t have reacted like that and I apologize”, he nods convincingly and reaches for one of Harvey’s hands, relaxing a bit when Harvey’s eyes immediately soften. “I’m an idiot”, he says with a small smile. “Yes, I’m disappointed but I’m happy for you and Charlotte, it’s going to be a beautiful weekend.”

Harvey’s shoulders relax visibly and Mike watches as he lets out a long breath through his nose. _Bomb disarmed_.

Mike leans in and, very slowly, closes the gap between them. It’s an easy trick and it’s dangerous, but it’s Friday night and they’re both tired, both on edge and maybe it’s not fair, but Mike doesn’t want to fight. Not tonight, not with the risk of such a horrible outcome.

“I’m sorry”, he whispers against Harvey’s lips.

“I know…”, Harvey replies before cupping Mike’s face with his hands and deepening the kiss.

They kiss for a long minute, deep and slow, and the world feels like it’s stopped turning, like time’s stopped. Until Harvey suddenly pulls away and takes a step back.

“Fuck, Mike…”, he says in a soft, breathless voice. “We can’t do that here.”

“Everybody’s gone”, Mike replies with a smile. “Besides, I originally came up to kiss you goodbye, so…”

“Does that mean you don’t want to have dinner with us?”, Harvey asks and the anger Mike had read in his eyes minutes ago that turned into softness when he kissed him suddenly looks like sadness.

“The invitation still stands?”, Mike asks, his heart skipping a beat.

“Of course”

“Then, uh, yeah…”, Mike stammers as the realization hits him: he’s going to meet Charlotte. “Should I meet you at your place, like, um, later?”

“Ray will be downstairs in 5 minutes and Scottie’s parents live four blocks away”, Harvey replies, gathering his computer and files. “If you don’t need to go back to your place, you can ride with us.”

“I think I’m good”, Mike swallows thickly. “I mean, I don’t need to go home, I’m okay, I- I can come with you- now.”

Harvey suppresses a grin at Mike’s awkwardness and brushes past him, deliberately bumping shoulders with him.

“Then let’s go”, he whispers hotly in Mike’s ear.

 

 

The car ride to Mr. and Mrs. Scott’s is rather quiet. Ray and Harvey exchange a few words and Harvey tells Mike he won’t be long, that he can wait in the car with Ray while he picks up his little girl. Then he asks him to stop fidgeting and places a warm, heavy, comforting hand on Mike’s thigh to help him relax. Which helps a bit.

When Ray pulls over in front of the very luxurious building, Harvey grabs Mike’s chin between his thumb and index finger and places a chaste but long kiss on Mike’s lips. It’s only when they break apart and Harvey exists the car that Mike realizes that he should have enjoyed that kiss more because something tells him he’s not about to have another one tonight...

“You’re going to meet Princess Charlotte”, Ray turns around and wiggles his eyebrows. “She’s a good girl.”

“I bet she is”, Mike smiles. “I’m a bit scared…”

“I never got the chance to tell you, Mike, but I’m happy for you and Harvey”, Ray turns back around. “I knew you two would end up together, I knew it from the very first time you set foot in my car.”

“Thanks, Ray.”, Mike nods with a smile. Ray knows so now he’s sure Donna knows. Because he knows they’re always exchanging information on their boss.

“Oh, here they are!”, Ray exclaims before jumping out of the car. “Miss Charlotte!”

“Raaayyyy!”

Mike braces himself and watches as the little girl jumps in Ray’s arms in a happy giggle. She looks exactly like the pictures and videos he’s seen: dark curly hair, dark eyes and a cute little button nose overhanging an equally cute little mouth.

“Have you been good?”, Ray asks and puts her back down.

“Always!”, Charlotte replies very seriously.

“Sweetheart”, Harvey crouches down in front of her and grabs one of her tiny hands. “We’re having dinner with a friend of mine, he’s in the car”, he smiles expectantly and Mike’s not sure he’s ever seen such fondness in Harvey’s eyes before.

“Okay…”, the little girl nods and turns on her heels to open the car door. “Hello”, she says when she sees Mike.

“Hello”, Mike replies with a tentative smile. He’s not sure what Charlotte is thinking. Her big brown eyes are studying him but he can see she’s also trying not to show any emotion. How very Specter of her.

“Get in”, Harvey urges her. “I’ll sit with Ray in the front.”

Charlotte does what she’s told and climbs in the car seat Ray just placed on the leather backseat, her eyes never leaving Mike, even as she bends sideways to buckle up, something Ray starts to offer his help with before smiling and shutting the door.

“What’s your name, Sir?”, she asks after a long moment and Mike hears a muffled snort coming from the front of the car.

“I’m Mike”, he replies. “You?”

“Oh, you’re Mike Ross?!”, she opens her eyes wide and gapes.

“Yes, how do you know?”

“Daddy says you have special powers”, she replies and narrows her eyes at him. “He says you remember everything by heart.”

“Your Daddy’s not completely right”, Mike smiles softly as Harvey clears his throat exaggeratingly loud. “I don’t remember _everything_ , only what I read.”

“Like books?”

“Yeah, like books”, Mike nods.

“Do you know Little Red Riding Hood?”, she asks and raises a challenging eyebrow. She obviously doesn’t believe him.

“Yes.”, he nods again.

“Okay then, recite it.”

“Say please, Charlie”, Harvey gently scolds her.

“Please”, the little girl says then very discreetly rolls her eyes.

“Okay…”, Mike takes a deep breath and begins to recite. “Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen. Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still more. This good woman had a little red riding hood made for her. It suited the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood.”

“Do you know a lot of children’s stories?”, Charlotte asks, apparently unimpressed. What Mike just recited probably isn’t the same version of the story she knows.

“Some”, he smiles.

“Is it true that you used to take drugs?”, she cocks her head to one side and wrinkles her nose disapprovingly.

“Uh-“

“Who told you that?”, Harvey turns around, wide-eyed.

“I heard mum say it on the phone when she was talking to you the other day”, Charlotte replies. “She doesn’t like you”, she says, her little index finger pointed at Mike.

Mike opens his mouth and closes it again. He was going to retort that he didn’t like her mum either but thankfully, he realized how stupid that was before it was out. He’s met Scottie on numerous occasions, as she seems to enjoy being up against Pearson Specter, or rather against _Harvey_ and no, he doesn’t like her, he finds her pretentious and insufferable. He tried to be objective about her, he knows his perception is a bit biased because he is clearly jealous of her history with Harvey. Also he knows they kept seeing each other even after they separated, and when they’re together in the same room, their chemistry is so strong it’s overwhelming. He’s jealous because Harvey respects her like he does nobody else, because she’s the mother of Harvey’s child and all of this combined with her general attitude are the reasons why he doesn’t like her. Harvey told him once that appearances could be deceiving, that she wasn’t as confident as she projected, that she was a really nice girl with a big heart underneath that glassy exterior. But it doesn’t matter, doesn’t change anything: Mike can’t stand her. Why _she_ doesn’t like him is a bit of a mystery, as they never really talked.

“Don’t say that”, Harvey frowns at Charlotte and gives Mike a small awkward smile that looks a lot like a “sorry about that… _all that_ ”.

Mike doesn’t smile back, doesn’t say anything, just turns to the look through the window because right now he’s not sure what he can say or do. Harvey’s probably thinking this dinner wasn’t such a great idea after all and right now Mike is inclined to agree with him. Why would Harvey talk about Mike and his drug past with Scottie? Is that why she doesn’t like him? Why did he have to tell her? It is part of their secret, their big _big_ secret. Maybe he told her everything? Maybe she knows about him never going to Harvard, not possessing a law degree?

Mike’s heart starts racing in his chest at the idea that Scottie might know, that he could be in danger, especially since she doesn’t like him. She could sell him out and he would lose everything, his job, his life, _Harvey_. It’s been two years since Harvey hired him and he’s had scares in the past, a couple of them, but most of the time, he doesn’t think about it because he’s made sure he got everything covered with Lola and as long as they don’t tell anybody, he’s fine, nobody can reasonably find out. People would have to be told to know. And if Harvey told Scot-

He jumps on his seat when a hand squeezes his knee.

“Hey”

Harvey is smiling at him, a soft but concerned smile.

“Are we there yet?”, Charlotte sighs, oblivious to the effect her little innocent revelation had on Mike.

“Almost, Miss Charlotte”, Ray replies and Mike relaxes a bit at the normality of the conversation.

“What are we having for dinner? I’m hungry…”, the little girl asks and sighs again.

“What do you want to have?”, Harvey gives Mike one last glance and turns back around.

“Ice cream!”, Charlotte yells.

“That’s dessert, sweetheart”, Harvey replies in a light chuckle.

Charlotte shrugs and yawns loudly.

Nobody speaks again until Ray parks in front of Harvey’s building and the three of them ride the elevator up in silence. Mike tries to focus on the buttons lighting up one after the other and to not look at Charlotte who he can feel is staring at him intensely.

“What color are your eyes?”, she asks as the elevator reaches the top floor.

“Uh, me?”, Mike reluctantly glances at her.

“Yes, silly!”, she giggles.

“They’re blue”, he replies and looks at Harvey who is grinning at him. “What?”, he frowns and instantly can feel a full on blush creeping up his cheeks.

“I like blue eyes”, Charlotte says and takes off her coat before throwing it on the couch.

“Charlie…”, Harvey threatens.

The little girl sighs and carries it to the rack in the entryway.

“Wanna see my room?”, she asks.

“Sure”, Mike nods timidly and follows her to the bedroom he already knows for having slept there on many occasions when he and Harvey were just friends.

“Charlie, what do you want to eat?”, Harvey calls from his bedroom where Mike knows he’s transforming into his favorite Harvey, casual Harvey. “And don’t start a game or anything, okay?”

“I don’t care, Daddy! I want ice cream!”, Charlotte replies and she rolls her eyes at Mike. “This is my room”, she smiles proudly upon opening the door. “See? It’s nice and tidy.”

“It is”, Mike confirms with a smile.

“Come, sit on my bed!”, she orders enthusiastically and jumps on her bed. “I have a big bed because I’m a big girl now”, she explains as she grabs a stuffed elephant and absentmindedly hands it to Mike. “Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“No”, Mike shakes his head.

“Me neither”, she pouts. “Daddy says I should ask Mommy because he can’t have kids.”

“That’s true”, Mike chuckles and puts the stuffed elephant on the bed next to him. “You know, having a kid is a big decision that requires a lot of thinking because raising a kid is difficult. You can’t just ask your parents for a brother or a sister.”

“I know… Daddy says I’m a brat and that I’m difficult”, she replies and Mike’s heart sinks a bit at the way her little shoulders slump.

“I’m sure he doesn’t mean it, he likes to tease people”, he says, realizing he has no idea how to handle a conversation with a kid.

“You’re nice”, Charlotte looks up and smiles broadly.

Now he’s able to really look at her, Mike finds that her eyes and nose are like Harvey’s but her mouth and pointy chin are those of Scottie. In any case, she’s a beautiful little girl who will no doubt break a few hearts when the time comes.

“Thanks”, he smiles back. “Should we go back to see your Daddy?”

“Yeah”, she nods and jumps off the bed. “Let’s go!”, she says and grabs Mike’s hand, literally dragging him to the living room.

Harvey’s sitting on the couch, his phone stuck to his ear. He’s wearing a black dress shirt and what looks like a pair of grey flannel pants. It also looks like he messed up his hair a little bit. _Definitely his best look_.

When he hears them come in, he turns around and gives them a once over, his eyes stopping for a second on Mike and Charlotte’s joined hands.

“Yeah, she’s here”, he says to the person on the phone. “Charlie, you want to talk to Mommy?”

“No, I’m good”, Charlotte replies.

“She wants to say goodnight”, Harvey insists. “Come on.”

“But I want to stay with Mike!”, she wines but obeys, lets go of Mike’s hand and walks to the couch. “Hi, Mommy…”, she sighs. “Yes, I’m good.” “No, not yet, we just got home. With Mike!”, she beams and Mike risks a glance at Harvey who gives him a reassuring nod. “Where are you?” “Can I come with you next time?” “Yeah I know…” “Goodnight, Mommy, I love you!”, she eventually exclaims and hands the phone back to Harvey.

“Yeah, she’s going to be a nightmare to put to bed”, Harvey laughs when he puts the phone back to his ear. “See you on Monday. Bye.”

Mike doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to do, if he’s supposed to ask if he can help with dinner, with anything? If he should let them do what they usually do when Charlotte spends the weekend and wait for instructions? He feels a little out of place, not uncomfortable, just weird and a little stressed. As much as he’s happy to finally meet Charlotte and spend some time with Harvey when he thought he was going to spend the weekend alone, he feels a little lost. Thankfully, like he always does, Harvey notices it and comes to his rescue.

“Go wash your hands in the bathroom, sweetheart”, Harvey says, pointing at the corridor. “Dinner will be here in a minute.”

For once, Charlotte doesn’t ask any question and simply follows her dad’s order.

“Is everything okay?”, Harvey whispers once he’s taken the couple of steps separating him from Mike.

“Yes”, Mike lies.

“I know it’s a bit messy…”, Harvey purses his lips in a tight apologetic smile and leans in for a quick kiss.

“It’s okay”, Mike replies against Harvey’s lips before capturing his mouth for another kiss.

It’s not as quick as the first one but it’s still much too quick for Mike. And for Harvey as well, if the small disappointed yet resigned sound he makes when they break apart is any indication.

“What exactly does Scottie know?”, Mike asks with a concerned look.

“We’ll talk about it after dinner, when she’s in bed, okay?”

“Okay…”, Mike nods and they both take a step back from each other, just in time for Charlotte’s triumphant return.

“Can I sit next to Mike?!”, she asks, running to the dining table.

“Sure”, Harvey smiles and picks up the landline that just rang. “Yes? Yeah, let him up Steve. Thanks. You too.”, he says and hangs up. “Dinner’s here.”

 

“How old are you?”, Charlotte asks, her mouth full with her favorite chicken noodles. “Sorry”, she adds to her frowning father.

“I’m 31”, Mike smiles.

“It’s kind of old but not _too old_ ”, she wipes her mouth and puts her fork down. “Are you married?”

“No”, Mike laughs. “I’m not.”

“Do you have a girlfriend then?”

“No”

“Cool!”, Charlotte exclaims with a beaming smile. “I like blue eyes, do you like brown eyes?”

“Uh, um, yes”, Mike stutters and jumps on his seat when Harvey kicks his feet playfully.

“I don’t have a boyfriend”, Charlotte says with a sad face. “The boys in my school are stupid and Daddy says that’s because they’re young. And you’re not young, are you?”

Mike clears his throat uncomfortably and glares at Harvey when he feels another kick under the table.

“Are you young, Mike?”, Harvey, _the bastard_ , asks with an full-on smirk.

Mike bites the inside of his cheek and turns to the little girl.

“Compared to your Daddy, I’m extremely young”, he replies with a chuckle.

“Yeah, Daddy is old but it’s not his fault”, Charlotte shakes her head. “Mommy is old too but she found a new boyfriend so don’t worry, Daddy…”, she smiles fondly at Harvey. “… you will find a new girlfriend too.”

“Mommy has a new boyfriend?”, Harvey asks with a dumbfounded face.

“Yes, he came to have dinner with us…”, she looks up and narrows her eyes. “I don’t remember when, but he had dinner with us this week.”

Harvey huffs and looks down at his plate. There’s a little bit of anger in his eyes, a little bit of surprise but also something else Mike is trying hard to not read as jealousy.

“I’m only 6 but you could be my boyfriend, Mike”, Charlotte offers with a hopeful look. “You could, right?”

Mike can’t say he’s surprised, he knew it was coming. But he has no idea how to answer to that, especially with his boyfriend, this little girl’s dad, sitting across from him. He doesn’t want to be rude, doesn’t want to upset her but doesn’t know what to say to make his point without doing that.

“When I said the boys in your school were young, sweetheart”, Harvey once again comes to his rescue. “I meant that you’re all too young to have boyfriends and girlfriends. And Mike is way too old to be your boyfriend, or even your friend.”

“But he likes brown eyes and I like blue eyes!”, Charlotte protests.

“And that’s how you’re supposed to choose your boyfriend?”, Harvey asks with a barely contained smile.

“Yes”, she nods. “Mum says you can know everything from a person’s eyes.”

“Finish your plate, sweetie, we’re all tired and you should already be in bed”, Harvey sighs. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, alright?”

“Is Mike staying with us?”

“I don’t know”, Harvey piles the empty take out boxes together and gets up. “Ask him”, he adds with a wink directed both at his daughter and Mike.

“Are you staying with us, Mike?”, Charlotte asks, her head nodding jerkily. “You can sleep in my bed with me, it’s big!”

“I don’t know, I, uh-“, Mike swallows thickly. “I don’t want to, uh, I’m not sure- I- I didn’t bring any change and uh”, he looks at Harvey for help but he is busy putting the carton boxes away.

“Pleaaaassseee! Pleassseeeee!”

“If I uh, choose to stay, I can totally sleep on the couch”, Mike says, hoping it will be good enough for the little girl. “But I, uh, I wouldn’t want to-“

“Do you want to stay or not?”, Harvey turns around and asks.

“Say yes!”, Charlotte yells.

“Lower the volume, Charlie”

“Sorry…”, she whispers. “Say yes.”

“Yes, okay”, Mike blurts. “I’ll stay.”

Charlotte opens her mouth to probably yell her contentment but she covers her mouth at the very last second.

“Then that’s settled”, Harvey smiles. “I’ll sleep on the couch, you’re our guest, you can have my bed.”

“Nooooo!”, Charlotte shakes her head. “I want him to sleep with me!”

“No, Charlie”, Harvey scolds. “Now, do you want ice cream?”

The little girl shrugs and eventually shakes her head, her lips pursed in an irresistibly cute pout. One Mike’s seen on Harvey a couple of times. _Irresistible_ …

“Okay then, go brush your teeth, I’ll be right there”

“Yes, Daddy…”, Charlotte puts her napkin down and sighs before leaving the table and dragging her feet to her bedroom.

“She’s cute”, Mike chuckles.

“Yeah… Sometimes…”, Harvey rolls his eyes and pours two glasses of wine. “She likes you, I knew she would.”

“Thanks”, Mike says when Harvey hands him a glass. “Is it okay that she asked me to stay?”

“Yes, Mike, it is”, Harvey replies with a smile. “Is it okay for you? ‘Cause you could have said no, you know?”

“No, it’s okay, I just…”, Mike takes a sip of wine and sighs. “I’m not… I don’t know what to do, I mean, I-I’m supposed to be your _friend_ and-“

“Daddddyyy! I’m done!”

“I’ll be right back”, Harvey puts down his glass and squeezes Mike’s hand before disappearing in the corridor.

And of course, Mike instantly regrets what he just said. Not because he doesn’t mean it but because he’s pretty sure trying to say that being here tonight is complicated is the last thing Harvey wants to hear. Harvey likes things uncomplicated and very clear and that’s one of the reasons why he didn’t want to have a relationship with Mike in the first place. But it _is_ complicated, it is weird and Mike’s not comfortable. The only reason he agreed to stay the night was to spend time with Harvey and because he’s got nothing planned for the weekend anymore. And because Charlotte’s cute and he didn’t want to be rude. But if he had replied based on how he is feeling, he’d have declined. He expected meeting Harvey’s daughter to be weird, but not that weird. He spends 12 hours a day with the man and yet, right now, he realizes there is so much he doesn’t know about him. Like his current relationship with Scottie, what kind of dad he is, what he does when he’s not being a dad or a boyfriend… It all suddenly sounds very complicated and also frightening.

Mike swallows the rest of his glass in one gulp and looks around the living room. He’s spent many nights here, watching football and drinking beers, working on cases, making out with Harvey… It looks totally different tonight, like he sees it through a totally different prism. From a rational point of view, there’s nothing to be scared of: he’s meeting Harvey’s daughter for the first time and Harvey hasn’t told her they’re dating which is totally fine and normal. Even more considering she probably doesn’t know her father is bi sexual and would no doubt have a hard time understanding what that means and entails in the beginning. When Harvey feels it’s serious enough, when he’s ready, he’ll tell her but for the moment, Mike is a friend and it’s okay. It really is. Still, Mike isn’t at ease, there’s something bothering him-

“Charlie wants to say goodnight”, Harvey pulls him out of his thoughts.

“Sure”, Mike nods and follows him to the little girl’s bedroom.

She’s sitting on her bed, her stuffed elephant squeezed to her chest.

“Can you tell me a really quick story?”, she asks the moment Harvey and Mike set foot in the room.

“Charlie, no, it’s late”, Harvey quickly replies.

“I’m not asking _you_ , Daddy, I’m asking Mike.”

“I know you’re asking him, _smarty-pants_ ”, Harvey shakes his head with a smile. “And it’s late, you need to go to sleep.”

“Just one teeny-tiny story, Mike, pleaaassse!”, Charlotte wines.

“Charl-“

“Okay”, Mike nods with a mischievous smile. “I’m going to tell you the shortest story I know”, he says and winks at Harvey. “Ready?”

Charlotte lies down and nods jerkily as Mike sits down on the bed.

“Once there were two dogs named Lucy and Daisy. They jumped so high that they landed on the moon. They played there for a while, then they got hungry and went home.”, Mike says and gets back up.

“And then what?”, Charlotte asks.

“Then nothing”, Mike chuckles. “That’s it.”

The little girl purses her lips and narrows her eyes at Mike.

“That was one dumb story”, she says and rolls over on her side.

“Goodnight, Charlotte”, Mike waves at her and walks to the door where Harvey is clearly trying his hardest not to laugh.

“Goodnight…”, she mumbles.

“Goodnight, sweetheart”, Harvey says and turns off the lights. “That was kind of mean but fun to watch”, he says once he’s closed the door.

“Now you know what to do next time she asks for one more bedtime story”, Mike laughs.

“Well, I excel at a lot of things but telling stories off the top of my head isn’t one of them”, Harvey retorts with a huff.

“Harvey Specter, always so humble”, Mike snorts and slumps onto the leather couch.

Harvey refills Mike’s glass and joins him in the living room.

“Why does Scottie not like me?”, Mike asks even though it’s not what he wants to know the most tonight. Harvey said they would talk after dinner after all. “I mean, she doesn’t even _know_ me.”

Harvey heaves a long, tired sigh and takes a sip of his wine.

“I told her about us”, he replies. “Two weeks ago. I wanted her to know because I knew that, at some point, you’d meet Charlie and I wanted it to be okay with her”, he explains, looking everywhere but at Mike. “It’s not like I need her permission but I wanted her to know. Because unlike her”, he huffs bitterly, “I’m open to discuss everything that can impact our daughter.”

Mike knows he’s referring to the new boyfriend news Charlotte broke during dinner. So maybe there wasn’t jealousy in his eyes, maybe there was just disappointment and anger.

“So you wanted me to meet your daughter?”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while, even before we uh…”, he gestures awkwardly. “I thought about inviting you to her ballet gala last summer”, he looks at Mike and smiles. “You should see her in her little tutu, she’s so cute. But then we, uh…”, he clears his throat. “Then everything happened and it kind of complicated things because I didn’t know how to introduce you… She’s very young and she has no idea that two men or two women can be a couple and I know she wouldn’t judge, but um… She knows me and her mother were together before she was born and uh…”, he looks down at his glass and swallows thickly “I had a brief relationship with a woman last year and Charlotte met her and…”, he pauses and Mike bites the inside of his cheek to refrain from speaking because there are so many questions floating around his mind now: _who? Do I know her? Why didn’t you tell me? We were friends then, why didn’t you say anything?_ He knows Harvey doesn’t owe him any explanation but that doesn’t mean he can’t feel betrayed. And jealous. God, when did he become such a jealous person?

“Point is”, Harvey straightens up, “I wouldn’t know how to explain to her that I can date women but also men. I haven’t figured out yet how to tell something like that to a 6-year old. That’s why you’re a _friend._ For now _._ ”, he smiles apologetically.

“It’s okay, I understand”, Mike nods. “It’s just that it’s a little uncomfortable for me, maybe for you too, I hope I was okay tonight.”

“You were perfect”, Harvey replies in that soft voice Mike has learned to love in the past 2 months.

Now all Mike wants to do is climb onto Harvey’s lap and kiss the life out of him. But it wouldn’t be wise, so instead, he goes back to his first question.

“That doesn’t tell me why Scottie doesn’t like me”, he raises an eyebrow.

“I think she’s jealous”, Harvey shrugs. “Which makes no sense since she’s seeing someone but that’s my conclusion after hearing the way she reacted when I told her that we were um…”

“Why is it so hard for you to say it?!”, Mike bursts out laughing. “Seriously, Harvey, just say it!”

“You got my point, right?”, Harvey shoots him an pointed look and takes a long sip of wine.

“You’re cute”, Mike moves closer to him and rests his head on Harvey’s shoulder. “Did you… tell her about _me_?”, he asks, emphasizing the last word, knowing full well Harvey will know what he’s talking about and hoping he will say he didn’t.

Rationally, he knows Harvey couldn’t have told her, they promised each other they wouldn’t tell a soul and Harvey’s a secret and very cautious man. But it’s been bugging him since dinner and he feels the need to ask, for reassurance purpose.

“Yes”, Harvey quickly replies in a whisper.

“What?!”, Mike sits bolts upright. “Why did you do that? I thought we weren’t supposed to tell anyb-!”

“Stop yelling”, Harvey cuts him and places a hand on Mike’s thigh. “I told her because she was about to find out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Should I worry?”, Mike asks, his heart racing in his chest. Being caught has been his biggest fear for the past two years and though he manages to not think about it all the time anymore, he still has regular nightmares about it.

“No”, Harvey lifts a hand to Mike’s face and runs his thumb across his temple. “There is nothing to worry about. Scottie won’t say anything. She doesn’t approve but she knows that I would go to prison if you were caught and she wouldn’t let that happen.”

Mike snorts and leaves the couch with his empty glass.

“Mike…”

“She wouldn’t have found out”, he says, refilling his glass. “What we did with Lola is untraceable, she wouldn’t have found out”, he repeats. “Why did you have to tell her for god’s sake?”

“Mike please, lower your voice”, Harvey gets up and cautiously walks up to him. “She knows a lot of people and she was ready to investigate, she had doubts and I had to make a decision. I thought it’d be better if she learned it from me.”

“She really hates me, doesn’t she?”, Mike takes a couple of steps backward. “Why would she even question my education? Why does it matter to her? What have I done to her? I never even _spoke_ to her directly! I mean-”

He stops and walks to the patio doors because right now he doesn’t think he can speak without yelling. In the reflection he can see Harvey running a hand through his hair and looking around like he’s thinking about what to say to save the evening. Why did he have to tell her? He doesn’t know Scottie and Harvey’s right, she wouldn’t let the father of her child go to prison, but still… Harvey advised him not to tell Rachel, citing it would be too dangerous, he even advised him to break up with her! So he has the right to tell their dirty little secret to his ex and Mike cannot even date someone for fear that this person would sell him out? That’s not fair.

“I’m gonna go”, Mike turns around and puts his glass on the kitchen counter.

“Mike, please-“

“No, I’m sorry but that’s a little too much for one night”, Mike chuckles dryly and walks to the entryway to get his coat. “I need some time to process all of it.”

“Look”, Harvey gently wraps his fingers around Mike’s wrist. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Scottie and our secret but please, can we-“

“You also told her about the drugs and she told Charlotte!”, Mike cuts him sharply. “I trusted you! I never told _anyone_ apart from Lola! And she doesn’t know about the drugs!”, he holds up a hand to stop Harvey from protesting. “Are you still seeing Scottie? Is that why you looked so upset when Charlotte said she had a new boyfriend? Why didn’t you tell me that you dated someone last year? Was it someone I know?”, he stops, breathless and on the verge of crying.

As always when he goes on a rant, Mike instantly feels stupid and regrets having opened his mouth. Now even more than a minute ago, he just wants to go home, hide under the covers in his bed and forget all about this evening.

“Okay…”, Harvey says after a long moment. “How about you take your coat off and I answer all of your questions one by one?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said, I’m going to go”, Mike shakes his head. “Thanks for dinner and, uh, sorry again.”

“Mike”, Harvey says in the commanding voice he always uses at work. A voice that sounds like a threat but is also charged with fondness. A voice Mike can’t really resist.

He looks up at Harvey and sighs.

“Alright, I’m not going but I don’t want to talk about it, actually I don’t even remember what-“

“I do”, Harvey cuts him and gestures towards the living room.

Mike reluctantly takes off his coat and follows him back onto the couch.

“Seriously, Harvey, I’m sorry for yelling and clearly being out of line”, Mike says, his eyes fixed on his folded hands.

“I told Scottie because I trust her with our secret”, Harvey says, pouring two more glasses of wine. “I trust her, period. She’s a good person, she’d never tell anyone. And no, I’m not seeing her. I wouldn’t have chosen to be in a relationship with you if I didn’t intend to commit 100%”, he says a bit harshly and Mike thinks he deserves Harvey’s scorn because if he’s honest with himself, Harvey hasn’t done anything that could indicate he isn’t committed. “I was upset when Charlotte mentioned her new boyfriend because she didn’t tell me prior to letting him meet our daughter. That’s it.”, he pauses and takes a long sip of wine. “I didn’t tell you about Zoe because it wasn’t…”, he sighs. “I wasn’t committed, I didn’t want to be with _her_ but I didn’t think the person I really wanted to be with was available”, he smiles knowingly and Mike relaxes a bit. “So yeah, it was someone you knew and it wasn’t serious, I shouldn’t have introduced her to Charlotte. What else do you want to know?”

“Nothing…”, Mike looks up and purses his lips. “I’m sorry, Harvey. I freaked out…”

“It’s okay, I’m kind of freaking out too”, Harvey chuckles and nudges Mike’s knee with his. “But I don’t regret introducing you to Charlie.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“Nope”, Harvey shakes his head resolutely. “But if you feel like you need to do something nice to make it up to me, please don’t let me stop you.”

“Like what?”, Mike asks with a mischievous smile and expertly moves to straddle Harvey’s lap. “Like that?”, he leans in and crushes their mouth together.

Harvey moans into the kiss and pulls Mike flush against him. No more tentative brush of the lips, no rush, Mike deepens the kiss to enjoy what he thought he wouldn’t have tonight: Harvey all to himself.

But just as he’s about to start unbuttoning Harvey’s shirt, a frightening thought pops up in his mind: what if Charlotte came in the room right now? What if she just wanted a glass of water and walked in on them making out? Or needed comfort after a nightmare?

“Harvey… stop”, he straightens up and reluctantly orders, a little breathlessly.

“What?”, Harvey frowns.

“What about Charlotte, shouldn’t we hide or something?”

“She’s asleep, she won’t wake up until tomorrow morning, she never does”, Harvey assures him and pulls him closer. “Don’t worry”, he whispers before kissing him again.

“What if we wake her?”, Mike gently pushes him away.

“You just spent 5 minutes yelling at me, don’t you think _that_ would have woken her up?”, Harvey smirks.

“I said I was sorry…”, Mike pouts and leans in to bury his face in the warmth of Harvey’s neck and discreetly catch a whiff of Harvey’s cologne.

“And I said it was okay”, Harvey runs a hand down Mike’s back and slides it in his pants, causing Mike to jump in surprise. “Now I would greatly appreciate it if you’d take off your clothes”, he adds, squeezing Mike’s butt.

“Here?”, Mike jerks up.

“Yes”, Harvey’s hands move from Mike’s back and butt to the front of Mike’s pants and begin to unzip his fly.

“Wait”, Mike gasps but that doesn’t stop Harvey from continuing his tantalizingly slow exploration. “Could we uh… I, um, I don’t-“

He stops dead when Harvey’s fingers wrap around his soft cock.

“Get out of your head”, Harvey orders, visibly unhappy with Mike’s arousal state.

And it’s not that he’s not aroused, because he is, he always is when he’s around Harvey. When he first started working for Pearson Hardman, he was half hard all day long. He _is_ aroused, it just can’t reach his cock because the fear of getting caught by a 6-year old girl is taking over. Harvey’s right, he should jump out of his head, the only problem being that it’s something he’s never been able to do. _Ever_. And Harvey knows it, Harvey knows the only thing that does the trick is weed, and weed’s obviously off limits.

“Mike…”, Harvey whispers hotly against Mike’s mouth while lazily stroking Mike’s cock. “Let go…”

Mike wants to let go, he wants to please Harvey, hell! there’s nothing he wants more in life than to please Harvey every way he can, but he doesn’t feel comfortable doing what they’re doing in broad daylight (so to speak) with Harvey’s daughter sleeping in the next room.

But he lets Harvey’s tongue explore his mouth and kisses back, eagerly, because that he can do and loves to do. He lets Harvey’s fingers trace the crease between his thigh and groin, lets them cup his balls and tease his hole. He even spreads his legs to give him room to tease him. He knows what Harvey’s doing, he knows he’s trying to help him relax, help him focus on what they’re doing instead of what’s going on in his head. Harvey won’t stop kissing him because he doesn’t want him to speak, his hands won’t leave Mike’s skin because he doesn’t want to break the connection.

And it works. After a couple of minutes, he can feel it, he can feel himself letting go, he can feel his body responding to Harvey’s ministrations. It’s only been two months. Two months since Harvey first kissed him and touched him, but Harvey already knows exactly how to send Mike over the edge. He knows where to touch, how to touch. Better than any other lovers Mike’s been with. Like with everything else he does, Harvey is precise, goes straight to the point and never misses his target.

“Harvey…”, Mike moans when Harvey’s middle finger passes the tight ring of muscles guarding his hole. _His Achilles’ heel_.

Harvey knows he’s won over Mike’s never-resting mind and he presses at the base of Mike’s cock, which is now fully hard and leaking.

“That’s it”, Harvey encourages, sliding another finger in Mike’s ass. “Good boy”, he says before bringing their lips together and spreading the precome over the tip of Mike’s cock with his thumb, and Mike realizes how close he now is to spilling himself all over Harvey.

“Harvey, please…”, he repeats a couple of times, causing Harvey’s hands to do exactly what Mike was implicitly asking for. “Fuck”, he moans and lets go of the last ounce of power he still had over his body.

The next 20 seconds are a delicious mix of sensations: he feels himself coming as well as Harvey’s fingers pushing deeply into his ass and Harvey’s lips bruising the skin of his neck. He cannot think straight anymore and maybe this is even better than weed, even better than riding a rollercoaster, maybe he’s found his new drug.

“Fuck”, he repeats breathlessly and he feels one last spurt of come landing on his stomach, which has him realize that somewhere along the way Harvey must have unbuttoned his shirt.

He leans in, suddenly boneless, and buries his face in Harvey’s neck. He keeps his eyes shut and all he can hear are his and Harvey’s ragged breath. He wants to say something, he wants to return the favor, to make Harvey feel as good as he made him feel but right now he can’t speak, can’t move.

 

A minute, maybe an hour or days, he has no idea how much time has passed, all he knows is that he could stay like this forever, pressed against Harvey, their hearts beating in unison.

“Sorry…”, he smiles sheepishly when he sits back up on Harvey’s lap and sees the mess he’s done.

“Nothing to be sorry about”, Harvey smiles sleepily. “You should go to my room and get some sleep.”

“But”, Mike lifts up a hand to Harvey’s face. “I was supposed to make it up to you, not the other way around.”

“Trust me, you did make it up to me”, Harvey points at his groin.

There’s a large dark stain and Mike understands he did not make it.

“But I didn’t even-“

“You didn’t have to”, Harvey pulls him closer and kisses him. “You have no idea what you do to me”, he whispers and it would have made Mike hard again if he wasn’t so tired because fuck, this is hot. “Go to bed.”

Mike lets out a small wine and kisses him before leaving his lap and wobbling to Harvey’s bedroom. He wishes they could go to bed together and cuddle some more but he’s already had way more than he hoped for and he doesn’t want to push his luck.

“Goodnight”, he mumbles sleepily to no one in particular when he enters the bedroom.

 

 

Waffles or pancakes, something sweet, chocolate? Oh, and coffee too… Amazing smells are tickling Mike’s nose and he really hopes it’s not another one of the weird dreams he sometimes has when he’s really hungry or when he’s had too much to smoke, the latter having not happened in a long time.

He is hungry and the delicious smell isn’t vanishing, so it must be real, but reality hasn’t kicked in yet and Mike isn’t ready to open his eyes, so he rolls over on his front and buries his face in the pillow.

That’s all it takes for everything to come back to his mind: the pillow smells like Harvey. He’s in Harvey’s bed because he had dinner here with Harvey and Charlotte. He almost ruined the evening with his stupid insecurities but he made it up to Harvey and… _oh_. Maybe he should stop thinking about what happened yesterday or he won’t be able to leave the bed for a while because there’s no way he’s adding to yesterday’s embarrassment by walking in the living room with a visible hard-on.

He relaxes and takes a deep breath before opening his eyes. Now he’s fully awake, he can hear voices coming from the main room meaning he’s the only one still in bed.

He quickly puts on his dress shirt and suit pants and stops by the bathroom before quietly walking to where the voices are coming from.

Harvey and Charlotte (on her tiptoes on a step stool) are standing in front of the stove in the kitchen. A couple of weird-looking pancakes are sitting on a plate next to them.

“No, no, no”, Harvey grabs her daughter’s wrist right before it hits the edge of the pan. “Not like that, sweetheart, or you’re going to burn yourself”, he helps her flip the pancake. “Keep your arm lifted up, okay?”

“This one looks nice!”, Charlotte exclaims, ignoring her father’s recommendations.

“Yes, it does”, Harvey chuckles and helps her drop it onto the plate.

‘You think Mike likes chocolate chip pancakes?”

“They’re his favorites”, Harvey replies, pouring a large spoon of pancake mix in the frying pan, and Mike’s heart melts a little bit. He had no idea Harvey knew that chocolate chip pancakes were his favorites. Oh, he’s pretty sure he mentioned it but he didn’t think Harvey was the type of person to remember such things.

“Hey”, he says in a croaked voice and waves awkwardly as he steps inside the kitchen area.

“Mike!”, Charlotte squeals and steps off the stool to hug him.

“Charlie don’t-“, Harvey begins to say but stops and sighs. “… wipe your greasy hands on Mike’s pants”, he finishes in a whispers.

“It’s okay”, Mike snorts and ruffles Charlotte’s hair.

“I’m making pancakes!”, she announces and quickly climbs back on the step stool. “With chocolate chips”, she adds with an expectant smile.

“They’re my favorites, how did you know?”, Mike plays along.

“I just knew”, she nods and grabs the spatula.

Harvey shakes his head with a smile and winks at Mike before pouring more mix in the pan. “Coffee?”

“I’m fine, take your time”, Mike replies and walks to the dining table where maple syrup, Nutella and butter have been laid out along with a couple of mugs and a bottle of milk.

Harvey being more the coffee-plain bagel-on-the-go type, Mike guesses he keeps these caloric treats for when Charlottes comes over.

“How many of them do we need to make?”, the little girl asks. “I want to go with Mike.”

“Go”, Harvey sighs. “I’ll make them.”

“Okay!”, she quickly takes off her cute little apron and runs to the table. “What else do you like to eat?”, she asks, climbing onto Mike’s lap. “What’s your favorite food?”

“Pizza”, Mike replies instantly and his stomach grumbles at the mere thought.

“Mommy says it’s not healthy, she says I shouldn’t eat pizza or burgers”, Charlotte shrugs. “I eat them when I’m with Daddy and we don’t tell Mommy”, she giggles and buries her face in the crook of Mike’s neck.

“Charlie, get off him and grab a chair, let him breathe, he just woke up”, Harvey orders, pointing at his daughter with the spatula. “And don’t say it’s okay”, he tells Mike with a smile.

Charlotte gives Mike an apologetic look and goes back to the kitchen area.

“Now you want to make pancakes again?”, Harvey shakes his head with a smile.

“Can I eat sit on Mike’s lap to eat my breakfast?”

“No, there are plenty of chairs”, Harvey replies in a sigh.

“But Daddyyyyyy!”

“It’s not even 9 in the morning and you’re already getting on my nerves”, Harvey heaves out an exaggeratingly loud and long sigh. “Drop it or we won’t go to the movies.”

Charlotte frowns and folds her tiny arms across her chest defiantly.

Mike isn’t surprised by the show: considering her two parents, it’s no wonder Charlotte’s got character and considering Harvey’s legendary patience, he didn’t expect another reaction from him.

“Charlie…”, Harvey threatens while dropping another pancake on the growing pile.

This doesn’t seem to affect the little girl whose frown deepens even more. Harvey puts down the spatula and shoots her a pointed look.

“What are you planning to go see?”, Mike asks tentatively, not because he cares but because he feels a bit uncomfortable being essentially the reason for their disagreement.

Neither of them moves or even blinks for a long moment until…

“That’s it, you win, we’re not going”, Harvey announces after a fierce battle of glares and he turns off the hot plate. “Now, go sit at the table if you don’t want to make things worse.”

Charlotte automatically averts her gaze and opens her mouth but nothing comes out. She turns to Mike with teary eyes.

“Uh…”, Mike very eloquently tries to interject.

“What did I just ask you, Charlotte?”, Harvey asks and pours two cups of coffee.

“But…”, the little girl grabs Harvey’s pajama pants. “I want to go see the Minions! You said we would go!”, she cries. “Daddy, you said we would go, I want to _go_!”

“You know it all depends on your attitude and you’re being annoying. I told you to go sit at the table”, Harvey says, visibly unaffected by her tears. “Now, let go of my pants and go!”

“Daddyyyy…”, Charlotte chokes and Mike suspects that she’s overacting a little, though she seems genuinely upset about not going to the movies. “Please, I want to go!”

Harvey closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. Mike feels bad for Charlotte, and for Harvey too, but he’s curious to see how far Charlie can push her dad.

Surprisingly, it’s Harvey who caves in first. He crouches down and lets her wrap her arms around his neck.

“Stop crying, sweetheart”, he says and lifts her up from the ground. “You know I hate when you defy me. We’ll go next week.”

“But I want to go today…”, Charlotte sobs.

“I said no”, Harvey shakes his head and runs a hand in her hair. “Now be a good girl and go eat your breakfast”, he says, carrying her to the table.

Once he’s put her down, she walks to the chair opposite to Mike and he can’t help but feel like she’s now mad at him. For what he has no idea, but she looks pissed. Maybe because he didn’t stand up for her?

Harvey brings their cups to the table and gives Mike a small apologetic smile.

“Do you want a hot chocolate?”, he asks to his daughter who shakes her head. “Orange juice?”

“No, thanks”, she mutters.

“Going to the movies is a reward, Charlotte”, Harvey explains, sitting down and placing two pancakes in front of her. “You’re right, I said we would go but you know that in order to deserve the right to go, you need to behave. And glaring at me because I said you couldn’t sit on Mike’s lap for breakfast isn’t exactly being a good girl. Especially when we have guests.”

“Mommy doesn’t punish me”

“She should”, Harvey chuckles. “Unless you’re always good with her and keep the attitude in store for when you’re here.”

“Mommy says I’m a good girl. She’s nice, you’re not”, Charlotte pushes the plate away from her.

“Right, you’re a good girl and I’m not nice”, Harvey nods. “Who went to the store at 7:30 to buy what we needed to make pancakes? Who helped you make those pancakes?”

“You did but then you said no to everything!”, Charlotte objects.

“You’re giving me a headache”, Harvey sighs and rubs his temples. “Eat your breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Then go to your room. _Now_.”

Charlotte holds his gaze for a moment then turns to Mike and eventually climbs off her chair.

“Sorry about that”, Harvey says as they watch her retreat to her bedroom.

“It’s okay”, Mike replies. “I didn’t think you’d last this long before sending her to her room”, he chuckles.

“I would have done it sooner if you hadn’t been here”, Harvey smiles and casts a quick glance at the corridor to make sure Charlotte’s out of sight before leaning in for a kiss. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah”, Mike breathes against his lips before kissing him again.

“Daddy?”

They both jump when they hear the little girl. Mike reluctantly turns to look in the direction of the voice he really hopes comes from the bedroom and not from-

“Why were you kissing Mike?”, Charlotte bursts out laughing.

“Why are you not in your room?”, Harvey asks and Mike’s amazed by how composed he looks despite having just been caught locking lips with another man by his own daughter.

“I’m hungry”, she replies and casually goes back to her seat. _Kids…_ “Is that why you didn’t want me to sit on Mike’s lap, because you wanted to kiss him?”

Harvey huffs and shakes his head with a smile.

“Eat”, he says and clears his throat.

Mike’s cheeks are burning and he can’t even look up from his cup of coffee. This has got to be the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to him. This and the pot situation in the hotel suite 2 years ago. He should never have stayed yesterday, he should never have accepted to have dinner with them, he should never have returned Harvey’s kiss when he kissed him for the first time two months ago. This is too much, so much he almost regrets being born right now. And yes, he knows he’s being dramatic, thank you very much. What the hell is he supposed to do? To say? Should he help Harvey get out of this mess like Harvey helped him so many times yesterday evening? How?

Harvey looks a bit embarrassed, but it’s almost imperceptible, someone who doesn’t know him like Mike does probably wouldn’t notice the slight twitch in his upper lip. He’s looking for something to say because it’s clear Charlotte will not let it go like that.

“Can I tell Mommy that you kissed Mike?”, the little girl asks innocently with her mouth full. “Lana from school, she has two daddies and she says they kiss all the time.”

“More coffee?”, Harvey asks.

“Sure”, Mike replies, handing his half full cup.

“Are you gay, Mike?”, Charlotte asks. “Is that why you can’t be my boyfriend?”

“Charlie, eat your breakfast”, Harvey repeats for the hundredth time. “How do you know about… _this_ anyway?”

“Mommy told me”, she replies and grabs another pancake. “She told me you can love whoever you want and that when you’re a boy and you love a boy or you’re a girl and you love a girl, it’s called gay. So, are you gay Mike?”

“Yes”, Mike replies before Harvey can say anything. It’s not true at all but it seems like a simpler answer right now, something Charlotte could understand.

“What about you, daddy?”

“I’m not”, Harvey replies and Mike’s pretty sure it’s a blush he sees appearing on his boyfriend’s cheeks.

“Then why were you kissing Mike?”

“It’s complicated”, Harvey walks back to the table. “Eat your breakfast.”

“I am!”, Charlotte rolls her eyes. “Why were you kissing Mike?”

“Your Mommy told you you can love whoever you want, right?”, Mike asks and Charlotte nods. “Well, some people love girls _and_ boys.”

“Like Daddy?”

“Yes, like your Daddy”, Mike smiles and glances at Harvey who looks both very embarrassed and relieved.

“Okay”, Charlotte nods pensively. “Can I have a hot chocolate?”

Harvey sighs and gets back up.

“Is Mike your boyfriend?”, she asks with wide eyes like she just discovered the meaning of life.

Harvey doesn’t reply for a long moment during which Charlotte’s eyes go from Mike to him and then back to Mike.

“Yes”, he eventually replies, his back still turned to them.

Charlotte’s bewildered expression turns into a huge grin and she wiggles her eyebrows playfully at Mike.

“So I have two daddies too now!”, she exclaims.

“Eat your breakfast”

“Can we go to the movies with Mike today then?”

“Next week”, Harvey replies with a sigh and turns to them. “Eat your breakfast.”

And just like that, Mike’s fears and doubts vanish, just like that he’s part of a family again, just like that he’s Harvey’s boyfriend, a term neither of them had used to describe their new relationship until today.

Mike looks at Charlotte and mirrors her grin before grabbing a pancake. All the things that seemed complicated moments ago now seem so trivial, so stupid and something tells him that this weekend and the coming ones are going to be even better than the one he was supposed to have before their plans got cancelled…

 

THE END


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